1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a conductive path having a shielding function.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conductive path having a shielding function thus far developed is provided with a shielded wire including a conductor enclosed in an insulative core, a shielding layer made of a braided wire disposed around an outer circumferential surface of the core, and an insulative sheath enclosing the shielding layer; a terminal fitting connected to the conductor in the shielded wire; and a shielding shell to which the shielding layer of the shielded wire is connected, and the terminal fitting and the shielding shell are attached to a housing (Ref. patent Document 1). When the housing of such a conductive path is fitted with a housing of a mating apparatus, the terminal fitting is connected to a terminal of the mating apparatus, and also the shielding shell is connected to that of the mating apparatus.
When the conductive path constituted of such a shielded wire is used where interference by a foreign object may take place (for example when connected to an electric vehicle), the shielded wire is enclosed in a bellows-type corrugated tube, and the corrugated tube enclosing the shielded wire is further enclosed in a highly rigid protector, for the purpose of protection. (Please see JP-A-8-250219)
A conductive path including a conventional shielded wire constituted as above has a drawback in that the number of parts is too many, since a terminal fitting, which is an additional component separately used from the shielded wire for the connection of the mating component as a connecting means, is connected to the shielded wire.
Besides, a protector enclosing the shielded wire (a conductor and a shielding means of the conductor) for protection thereof is also an additional component separately used from the shielded wire, which is another factor that increases the number of parts.